Youth Flag Football Rules

C. If a team only has 5 players, the opposing will play with 5 players as w

2. The Field

The field is divided into two 30-yard zones. There are no out of bounds. The field is 60 yards long and 30 yards wide.

The boards and the nets are LIVE! The turf is DEAD!

3. Equipment

The league will provide the game balls & flags. After each game the flags MUST BE RETURNED to the scorekeeper.

4. The Game

Start of each game. A coin is tossed and the winner shall have the choice of options for the first half or shall defer

their option to the second half. The options for each shall be: A. To choose whether his team will take the ball or defend.

B. To choose the goal his team will defend. The captain, not having the first choice of options for a half, shall exercise the remaining options.

C. To start the game and to begin the second half, the ball will be placed on the goal-yard lin After all scores the next possession

will begin from the goal line of the offensive team.

Time- the game shall consist of two (2) twenty five-minute halves, with a 2 minute halftime.

1. Time runs continuously for the first half. It will stop for:

Team time outs (four – 30 second time outs per game, per team, two per half)

b. Official time outs.

2. The clock will stop for the following under two minutes during the second half only: (a) timeouts (team and official) – starts on the snap

3. No half shall end until the ball is dead and all penalties are resolved. E. Overtime – Overtime procedures will be as follows:

SHOOT-OUT. Each team gets 1 possession from the 2 extra point ranges. Repeat until one team wins. F. Dead Ball Instances

(a) Fumbles – Play is dead. Ball is marked at the spot of the fumble. (b) High Wire – If the ball hits the wire, down is replayed.

5. Offensive Play

A. When a team gains possession of the ball, it shall have 4 downs to advance it to the MID-FIELD line for a 1st

down. If you get a 1st down, you have 4 downs to score a touchdown.

Quarterbacks cannot run unless a defender crosses the line of scrimmage, regardless of whether or not there’s a player in

Motion.

C. Snap of the ball must be one quick and continuous motion from the Center. D. All players are eligible to receive a forward pass.

There must be at least 4 players on the line of scrimmage at the time of the snap for the offensive team only. Only one offensive player may be in motion at one time, but not in motion towards the opponent’s goal line. There

must be at least 4 players on their scrimmage line at the snap. PENALTY- Illegal motion, 5 yards from previous spot. F. All players must begin play with a flag belt. PENALTY- Player ineligible. If player catches ball 5 yard penalty.

When a ball carrier falls to the turf, a two hand touch will mark the player down. H. The ball carrier must make an attempt to avoid the defensive player.

Flag Guarding – swinging the hand or arm over the flag belt to prevent an opponent from deflagging, placing the ball in a position over the flag to prevent an opponent form deflagging, or lowering the shoulders in such a manner which places the arm over the flag to prevent an opponent from deflagging.

Runner shall not flag guard by using their hands, arms, or ball or by lowering their shoulder to deny the opponent the

Opportunity to pull or remove the flag belt. PENALTY- 10 Yards from the spot of the infraction.

I. Offensive players are responsible for retrieving the ball after a scrimmage down and returning the ball to an offic

Failure to retrieve the ball – delay of game 5 yards.

J. A runner may not hurdle or leap a defender in an attempt to avoid being deflagged. Player may spin away from defenders but while spinning they come into contact with a defensive player, play stops. NO diving forward, even to scor

Pitches and backward Passes are illegal.

L. A fumble which touches the ground between the goal lines is dead at the spot where it touches

The ground and belongs to the team last in possession, unless lost on downs. M. A forward pass is illegal:

1. if the passer’s foot is beyond the scrimmage line when the ball leaves his hand.

2. If thrown after team possession has changed during the down.

3. If intentionally thrown to the ground or out of bounds to save loss of yardag

4. If a passer catches his untouched forward or backward pass.

5. If there is more than one forward pass per down. N. Only Shadow Blocking will be permitted.

Play Clock

1. 15 Second Huddle

2. 10 Second Pass Clock

P. Running with the b

1. The ball is spotted where the ball carrier’s feet are when the flag is pulled, not where the ball is.

2. When running into the end zone, the ball and one foot must be over the line for a touchdown

6. Defensive Play

A. The line of scrimmage for the defense will start 2 yards from the b

B, Only Shadow Blocking will be permitted, no contact. C. Blitz

1. Only the player over center may blitz. There is NO free blitz. The official must count Three Mississippi, then call b Even after the count the DL can elect not to cross the line of scrimmage. Thus negating a run by the QB.

If the offense has a man in the backfield, any defender may have a free blitz. An official will signal this.

The defensive player may only go for the ball when it’s in the air. While in the hands of the offense, there is no

Swatting of the football.

7. Deflagging

A. Deflagging (removal of the flag belt by a player) is similar to tackling in footb Offensive players must have

Possession of the ball before they can legally be deflagged. A player who removed the flag belt from the ball carrier should immediately stop and hold up the flag to assist the official in locating the spot where the capture occurred.

B. A flag which becomes detached inadvertently (not removed by grabbing and pulling) causes play to stop.

C. In circumstances where a flag belt is removed illegally, play should continue with the option of the penalty or the

Play Penalty: 10 yards.

Ball carriers shall not guard their flags with arms or hands by blocking the opportunity from an opponent to pull or remove the flag. Penalty: 10 yards from spot of foul.

8. Blocking

The offensive screen block shall take place without contact. The screen blockers shall have their hands and arms down at their side or behind their backs.

Any use of the hands, arms, elbows, legs, or body to initiate contact during an offensive player’s screen block is

illegal. PENALTY – personal foul, 10 yards from the spot of the foul.

9. Fouls and Penalties – Penalty Enforcement

A. If a foul occurs during a running play, the penalty is marked off where the run ends. (Exception: offensive penalty behind the end of the run, then it is marked from the spot of the fou)

B. If a foul occurs during a loose ball play (ball in flight or loose), the penalty is marked off from the previous spo

C. All fouls shall be administered by rules 1 and 2 except when the offense commits the foul behind the line of scrimmage, and then it is marked off from the spot of the fou

When the official stops the clock for a penalty, he ` shall restart the clock when the ready for play signal is given, or when the ball is snapped, depending on the result of the previous play.

Note: When measurement spot for a 10 or 5 yard penalty is inside the offender’s 20 or 10 yard lines respectively, the

measurement will be half the distance to the goal line. Double and Multiple Fouls

1. On multiple live ball fouls against one team, only one penalty may be enforced at the offended team’s cho

2. A double foul is when both teams have committed a foul during the same live ball period, and team possession has not changed, the down is replayed.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

A player, coach, or spectator using abusive or insulting language, disputing, or arguing a call is displaying unsportsmanlike conduct. Two unsportsmanlike penalties against on person will result in an automatic ejection. Unsportsmanlike penalties by a spectator will be charged to the team captain and that spectator will leave the facility “sight and sound”.

Three (3) unsportsmanlike penalties on one team during a game will result in a forfeit!

11. Scoring.

The following methods shall be used in scoring a game:

1. Touchdown 6 points

2. Returning an extra point attemp 1 or 2 points.

3. Successful Try for Extra Point

running or passing from 5 yards 1 point

b. running or passing from 10 yards 2 points

NOTE: A team is given one choice, which can only be changed if a timeout is called.

12. Forfeits

Game time is forfeit time!! Each team is responsible for arriving at the playing area and ready to play at least

fifteen (15) minutes before game time. Games will start at scheduled start time. Games will start as long as there is five a side.

13. Eligibility

All players MUST have completed their Medical Release Forms before playing. Players must also sign the

weekly game sheets. You must have played in half the games to be eligible for the playoffs.

14. Uniforms

Players are given shirts through the league. They must be tucked in the shorts/pants. Each player must wear

pants/shorts without any: belts, belt loops, pockets, holes, or exposed drawstring. Pants/Shorts must be a different color than the flags. No outdoor CLEATS !!! Turf cleats are OK. No headwear containing any hard, unyielding, stiff material, including billed hats. Players may wear pliable and non-rigid glasses.

15. Mercy Rule

If a team is ahead by 20 or more points with 3 minutes remaining in the second half, game will conclude.